


Talons will leave you scarred but Iron suits will save the day

by Webtrinsic



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Peter, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Self-Harm, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Triggers, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2018-12-07 07:49:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11619159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Webtrinsic/pseuds/Webtrinsic
Summary: “I can feel the hurt. There's something good about it. Mostly it makes me stop remembering.” -Albert Borris





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to place a trigger warning here due to serious subject matter! please tread carefully.

Peter held his wrist tightly to his chest, it bled staining his shirt, slipping between the gaps of his finger's. Aunt May wouldn't be home for hours, but he wasn't expecting the knock on the front door. In a moment of panic, Peter slipped on a large hoodie and opened the door.

“Mr. Stark, um Hi, oh hi Happy,” Peter stuttered bracing the door, hiding his bleeding arm around the bend of the door. 

“Hey kid, I had some suit adjustments I wanted to do. We can head to the tower,”  Tony smiled. But Peter frowned, and both men noticed.

“Something wrong?” Happy asked, and Peter shook his head.

“I can get the suit for you, I just don’t think I can go. I have plans,” He lied, setting off to put the suit into the fancy suitcase. Little did he know, the blood began to seep through the fabric. Tony rocked on his heels when Happy tapped him. Tony turned, and Happy pointed to the floor, "Blood."

Tony stiffened, running into the apartment before stopping when he saw Peter shutting the metallic suitcase. Blood dripping from his sleeve, but Peter didn’t seem to notice and looked at both the men confused. 

“Sorry was I taking too long? Here’s the suit,” Peter asked, before offering the briefcase with his good arm. 

"Your arm," Tony breathed, gently grabbing Peter's elbow to hold him still and carefully pulling back the sleeve. Peter winced, while Happy scavenged the kitchen for the first aid kid. Peter kept his head down, letting Tony drag him into the kitchen. They carefully placed his arm under the gentle spray of the sink in complete silence.

Peter shook and winced, trying to pull away but Tony didn't let him. Tony pulled the kid against his chest, while Happy held and cleaned Peter's arm before wrapping it up tightly. Trembling, Peter pressed his face against Tony's shoulder willing himself not to cry. Tony wanted to scream, did someone do this to Peter? No, he knew Peter had done this to himself. He didn't even want to think about it. This wasn't something he'd expect from Peter at all.

The rage built-in his chest, but he couldn't yell at Peter. God no, he wouldn't hurt him more than he's already hurt himself. He'd just make Peter feel even worse, and he'd never forgive himself. Tony ran a hand through the kid's hair in comfort before Happy patted his back signaling he'd finished with Peter's arm.

"Why don't we go back to the tower, really get that arm checked out," Tony suggested, wrapping a protective arm around the boy's shoulders, but Peter stood still not letting himself be led out.

"But I have to clean the blood up," Peter mumbled, not looking up at the two men.

"Happy take care of the blood," Tony ordered, before instructing Peter to take off the bloody sweater. Peter did so with ease, before sighing and walking back inside to change the blood stained shirt. Tony watched with soft eyes, as Peter trudged back with a new shirt on. 

"I'm sorry," Peter apologized weakly, but Tony only squeezed his shoulder in response. Tony couldn't even pretend to understand why. Tony didn’t respond, he didn’t know how. Peter situated himself against Tony's side in the elevator, Tony didn't mind. Awkwardly hugging him closer, feeling it was the right thing to do. 

The elevator dinged, causing the two to step outside. Tony reached around to open the passenger side door, but Peter crawled into the backseat behind the driver's seat. Tony watched Peter curl in on himself, before getting into the car. Adjusting the rearview mirror to keep watch on him, Peter closed his eyes resting his head against the window.

The ride home was silent, Tony turned on the radio but Peter didn't stir. He looked in the mirror now and then, he was glad they'd finally arrived because he saw the tears falling down Peter's face. Tony exited the door, helping Peter out of the car. Peter wiped his face, sniffling into his arm. 

Tony was at a loss at what to say, so he just wrapped his arm around Peter and took them up the tower. Peter curled closer to Tony's side, surprising Tony. Tony held his breath before slowly letting it out, rubbing circles into Peter's back. 

"Let's stitch you up, help your healing factor a bit," Tony prompted lightly, trying to lighten the mood. Peter shrugged but complied heading towards medical. 

His wrist ached as Tony carefully cleaned the wound once more, FRIDAY determining that no stitches would be necessary before wrapping his arm's up again.

"But I thought you moved," Peter spoke up, and Tony indulged.

"Still my building, no one really bought it yet. Plus it's closer to your home, so I figured we'd just come here."

Peter nodded silently in understanding. Hugging his arms so his chest, waiting for the inevitable. Tony sensing Peter's anxiety gave in, "I'm not mad, doesn't mean I'm okay with this but I'll hear you out. We'll get through this."

"Albert Borris has this quote, 'I can feel the hurt. There's something good about it. Mostly it makes me stop remembering' and it was right I did stop remembering for awhile. I felt better, and once I stopped I had to do it again. I don't want to stop, it makes me feel better," Peter admitted.

Tony gulped settling beside Peter, "What does it make you forget?"

"That I'm not alone."

"You're not alone Peter, I'm here, Happy too. Your Aunt, and your guy in the chair," Tony listed, his arm situating around Peter's shoulders.

"I'm grateful you're here now, but... when I feel alone it's never because at the time I feel alone."

"Then why?"

"'It makes me stop remembering,'" Peter cited the quote again, "When I fought the Vulture, he. Well. His warehouse... he dropped it... on me. I..." Tear's were slipping from Peter's eyes, his hand reaching to tug at the bandages. Hoping to not relive the event again. His heart swelling with a loneliness that only his own pain could stop.

Tony carefully pulled Peter's arms away, holding them to his own chest silently urging Peter that it was okay and he could continue. That he wasn't truly reliving the fight. Tony nearly growled, he hadn't known the details of Peter's fight. Hadn't know Peter was struggling. He didn't even know if Peter had gotten hurt during the fight.

"I called out, and....no one.... couldn't breathe. I thought I heard you, but.... there was so much blood. Dust and water... it was so heavy and there was so much pain. " Peter rambled, struggling to breathe but Tony was quick to pull Peter up into his lap. Tilting his head down, and apologizing profusely.

"I'm sorry, I'm here now. You're okay, I'm here. I got you, you're safe with me. I'll always come, I promise I'll be there when you need me. Peter, you're here in the tower."

After an hour Peter lifted his head, looking around confused as if he didn't quite remember what had happened. Nonetheless, he accepted the squeezing hug by Mr. Stark.

"I wish sometimes I could forget, but forgetting something never last long. Because one day something will happen, and you'll remember and start this again. We're going to work at this until you realize you don't have to hurt yourself to feel better."

"Thank you... for being here. I...I don't feel so alone anymore."

"One day, you'll never feel alone at all kiddo. I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This ones for my love Anna, and all the lovely ppl who commented for this continuation.

Self-harm wasn't any different from any other addiction, it wasn't spared from the possibility of relapse and withdrawal. It was just as violent and just as damaging.

May and Tony had become accustomed to handling the symptoms of withdrawal that accompanied the young arachnid in their lives. May would take his fidgeting hands in her own at times, while Tony simply gave him something to do. And when he was antsy, a movie would be put on and he'd be wrapped up tightly in an embrace and a blanket.

Karen had also been tweaked to suit his needs a little more when he went out on patrol. May had protested to him going out at all, but Tony knew Spider-Man was one if not the biggest vice in the boy's life. He didn't even want to know what would happen if they'd taken that from him too.

The pair of adults were only grateful that even while out on patrol there hadn't been any relapse. Until today. The two Parkers had been out until May had remembered she needed to withdraw some money from the bank. Peter had suggested they do it another day because something about it was giving him a strange feeling. And it wasn't quite his Spider-sense but it was enough to worry him.

Needless to say, he'd been right, and yet again Peter held another one of his guardians as they bled out with a bullet in their chest. Tony had taken the boy to the compound after, looking down at the now numb child.

Who blankly followed, hugging himself as he followed Tony obediently, closely. Tony saw the blood that had stained the boy's skin, the quick check with the paramedics missing the drops sticking to his throat and the deep red beneath his fingertips.

"Why don't I get a shower or a bath ready kid?" Tony questioned softly, Peter shrugging and nodding and leaning his head against the older man's side.

Tony soothed the boy's back, before leading them off to the boy's bedroom. Gently guiding him to sit on the bed, as he went off the bathroom to start the shower, setting it to turn into a bath in around 45 minutes or whenever Peter was most comfortable.

He wasn't going to press.

Exiting the room he stared at the still figure, before quietly coming over and crouching in front of him.

"Why don't you wash up, and if you're hungry we can eat, okay?" He asked, hand bracing the teen's shoulder. Peter only nodded, eyes blank as he continued to stare at his feet. Another five minutes had passed before Peter could bring himself to his feet, almost falling but the billionaire was ready.

Hugging him to his chest, and righting his feet. Peter's limp hands bracing his forearms, before letting go and setting off to the restroom.  
Locking the door as he slid off his stained clothes, dropping them into the garbage and slipping into the warm spray of water. He upped it until it burned, letting the skin on his back turn red because only then could the blood be washed away.

He broke his nails removing the blood by adding his own and using the clips to poke and prod his wrist, before eying the blue and purple veins that stood out amongst the red skin and fog filling up the glass shower.

He wanted that pain again because now there wasn't any doubt of being alone. He was the only Parker left and didn't need to think any longer as he bit down on his veins hard. Watching the water turn red as he sat down, and sobbed. Bitting again and reveling in the pain, the loveling tearing and the metallic tang falling from it and his lips before being washed away with the steaming water.

The putrid smell bleeding and twisting down the drain in a sick whirlpool. That held a hypnotic glare, so much so he hadn't realized the water had been turned off, and Tony was there now. Tucking a towel around him and lifting him out and carrying him to the infirmary.

Not a word was spoken, but Peter could feel the man shaking. And was set down on a bed, scrubs slid onto his raw limbs while his arms were being cauterized, stitched and wrapped.

Pieces of flesh being removed from the spaces between his teeth, as he laid back unable to keep his eyes open any longer. The fingers in hair continued to draw him back to sleep with a soft admission being spoken against the crown of his head.

"You keep this up and I'll be alone too." He knew he wasn't supposed to hear it, but he was asleep before it could truly register in his brain.

\---

"Tony?" He asked confused, voice hoarse and mouth pooling with the taste of disinfectant.

"Yeah, kiddo?" The tired voice responded, and Peter took in his appearance. Hair tousled from no doubt his fingers aggressively running through it, and his eyes dark and concerned with an ounce defeat in them.

"I..."

"I know kid, I know," Tony supplied, taking his hand in his own.

"You should sleep," Peter supplies, noticing his mentor's throbbing temples and baggy eyes. Tony nodded, standing and making the kid scoot before he laid down too.

Peter was a little bewildered, as the man reclined with both his arms underneath his head, eyes closed simply waiting for Peter to do the inevitable. Which he did, by resting his head against the side of his chest and joining him in sleep.

They could talk about it in the morning.

\---

Tony woke first, Peter lightly drooling on his suit but he didn't dislodge him other than twining his fingers in the boy's hair, and letting his arm take some of Peter's weight. Causing the boy to sink further into his side.

'I can feel the hurt. There's something good about it. Mostly it makes me stop remembering.' Chimed in his head as he mulled it over, a sentiment he knew well.

But this could be fixed, not easily. But it could be. And he'd put his own blood, sweat, and tears into it if it meant Peter wouldn't have to hide behind his pain.

"Dad?" A muffled voice asked, and Tony peered down a little in shock but the boy's eyes were still closed. Lightly crinkled, before he buried closer.

"Yeah?" He replied softly, unsure if he was really being spoken too.

"What's going to happen now?"

"We stick together."


End file.
